How many imaging centers are in the U.S.?

Imaging centers diagnose, treat, and prevent various illnesses and injuries in patients. They offer many screening and diagnostic tests, which help improve the early detection of diseases. As of January 2025, the Definitive Healthcare platform tracks more than 15,000 active imaging centers across the U.S. Below, we break down the top imaging centers in the U.S. by region.

Which region has the most imaging centers?

The Southeast has the most imaging centers, with 4,169 facilities. The Midwest follows closely with 3,304 imaging centers, while the Northeast region reports 2,958 centers. The West region accounts for 2,652 imaging centers, and the Southwest region has 2,187. Finally, the U.S. Territories collectively have 204 imaging centers, representing the smallest share among the listed regions. Together, there are more than 15,000 imaging centers in the U.S., tracked in ImagingView.

Imaging centers by region

Fig. 1 Data is from Definitive Healthcare’s ImagingView product. U.S. territories not represented. Data accessed January 2025.

Concentration of imaging centers in leading U.S. metropolitan areas

Urban areas across the U.S. are home to the highest concentrations of imaging centers, reflecting the significant demand for healthcare services in densely populated regions. Among these, the New York-Newark-Jersey City CBSA stands at the forefront with the largest number of imaging centers, followed by other major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Imaging centers by CBSA

Fig. 2 Data is from Definitive Healthcare’s ImagingView product. U.S. territories not represented. Data accessed January 2025.

Imaging centers by state

The distribution of imaging centers across states also shows a clear concentration in a few large, populous states. Texas leads with the highest number, with 1,594 imaging centers, followed closely by California (1,438) and Florida (1,348). These states are home to large populations and diverse healthcare needs, driving the demand for imaging services.

Other states with significant numbers of imaging centers include New York (860), Pennsylvania (604), and Illinois (598), indicating a strong presence in the Northeast and Midwest regions. Meanwhile, smaller states like Vermont (19), Wyoming (23), and Alaska (37) report much lower numbers, reflecting smaller populations and less dense healthcare infrastructures.

This data emphasizes the correlation between population size and the number of imaging centers, with larger states and metropolitan areas seeing a higher concentration of facilities.

How does DH define regions?

• Southeast: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
• Midwest: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
• Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
• West: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
• Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
• U.S. Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

How imaging center data can help inform healthcare strategies

Understanding the imaging center landscape is a critical consideration for healthcare stakeholders, including businesses in the technology, life sciences, and healthcare provider sectors.

For medical device companies, understanding where imaging centers are concentrated helps them strategically target regions with higher demand for diagnostic equipment, improving distribution and sales efforts. Identifying areas with limited access to up-to-date imaging technology can also highlight opportunities for these companies to introduce their products.

Life science companies can also use this data to identify areas with robust imaging infrastructure, which is essential for conducting clinical trials that rely on diagnostic imaging, or to discover markets for new treatments where imaging plays a key role in patient care.

Healthcare providers can gain valuable insights from this information by assessing regions with a high concentration of imaging centers, enabling them to evaluate market competition, make informed decisions about service offerings, and plan for facility expansions or new partnerships. In addition, this data can help pinpoint gaps in care, revealing regions that may be underserved or lacking sufficient imaging resources.

Ultimately, this data empowers healthcare stakeholders to make smarter decisions about where to invest, form partnerships, and tailor services, ensuring that their operations align with regions that have the greatest need for imaging services and related healthcare solutions.

What is an imaging center?

Imaging centers are medical facilities that specialize in using imaging procedures to detect illness or injury. Imaging centers are typically outpatient facilities. Some imaging centers are privately owned, while others are owned by a hospital or healthcare system.

Radiologists, or physicians that use medical imaging to diagnose and treat illness, often work in imaging centers.

What type of illnesses do imaging centers most see?

Imaging centers are skilled at analyzing and detecting a wide range of conditions and illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, appendicitis, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke.

What are the main types of diagnostic imaging?

The most common types of diagnostic imaging include:

• CT scans
• Fluoroscopy
• MRI and MRA
• Mammography
• Nuclear medicine
• X-Rays
• PET scans
• Ultrasounds

Learn more

Healthcare Insights are developed with healthcare commercial intelligence from the Definitive Healthcare platform. Want even more insights? Start a free trial now and get access to the latest healthcare commercial intelligence on hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.